No Regrets From Japan

The people of Japan created a modern democratic society after the horrors of World War II. They renounced war as an instrument of foreign policy and worked to further the cause of freedom in the world. But, they never came to grips with what happened during World War II when its troops brutally occupied large areas in Asia and subjected Asians to incredibly horrific actions. The notorious “Rape of Nanking” witnessed the rape of over 75,000 Chinese women and murder of over a hundred thousand humans. Japanese armed forces killed over six million Chinese and laid waste large areas of the country. Japanese soldiers violated the Geneva Convention when capturing enemy forces and on the notorious Bataan Death March murdered at least five thousand Filipino and American prisoners.

Toru Hashimoto, mayor of Osaka, continues the denial path of Japanese politicians. He made a remark that forcing hundreds of thousands of women during the war to serve as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers was simply a method of controlling sexual desires of soldiers and he urged that American soldiers in Japan draw upon the services of Japanese prostitutes. He has now apologized and argues his words were misunderstood.

Japan should consult German educators who have done an outstanding job of confronting the horrors of the Holocaust. Japan could learn from Germany.